Granite City HS students warned of the perils of ‘sexting’

GRANITE CITY — Madison County Assistant State’s Attorney Amy Gabriel spoke to classes at Granite City High School Tuesday to educate them on the potential dangers of sexting.

Sexting is the act of sending sexually explicit photographs or messages via a mobile phone or other electronic device. The act has become more prevalent in recent years and websites like Twitter and Instagram have made it easier than ever to share photos with the world, including those unintended for public consumption. Gabriel cited an April 2010 article published by the Illinois State Bar Association that stated one in five teens admitted to sexting.

“Kids today have so much more in terms of social media and technology than what existed even 10 years ago,” Gabriel said. “Our office just wanted to make sure to give them the information of the very real criminal ramifications that can happen if you are found to be sexting or sending pictures on social media.”

The legal ramifications of possessing or distributing sexual photos of a minor range from a juvenile offense to felony adult possession of child pornography. In some cases, those found guilty have to register as child sex offenders, Gabriel said. But she also emphasized that the message of the presentation was to be smart, not to try to scare the students.

“The point here is for me, and our office, and law enforcement to tell you, you’re a teenager,” Gabriel said. “You’re going to make mistakes, because that’s what teenagers do. People make mistakes. But we want you to know the information, and we want you to know the consequences that are out there for something that when you think you’re sending a picture, you might not think it’s any big deal. But it turns out it’s child pornography, and it is a big deal, and it can have a very real consequence for you and your future.”

Granite City High School Principal Skip Birdsong said it’s not an issue the school has had to deal with yet, but that it was important to be proactive with issues like sexting.

“We haven’t had any issues that I’m aware of, but at the same time I’m not naive enough to think that things like that can’t happen,” Birdsong said. “We always want to try to address an issue before it becomes a problem as opposed to reacting later.”

Gabriel used two of the higher-profile sexting incidents in recent years as an example of just how serious the act can become. Two football players in Steubenville, Ohio, were found delinquent, juvenile court’s equivalent of a guilty charge, of raping an unconscious girl, with one of the students also being convicted for disseminating a naked photo of the girl. Much of the case unfolded online and through social media sites.

In Florida, an eighth-grade girl committed suicide after a topless photo to a classmate was shown to her friends, family and teachers. As a result, the boy in the case was made to register as a sex offender for distributing pictures of a minor.

Health teacher Bruce Frank urged his students to think before doing something they might regret.

“I hope you understand how severe it can be,” Frank said. “Something you might think is very minor, your life is going to change.”

Nathan Grimm can be reached at 618-463-2515 or on Twitter @GrimmTelegraph.